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I'll go for Massachusetts here, but there's no doubt that Michigan beaches are very highly underrated. As someone who grew up in New York, the first time I went up north in Michigan, I was amazed that people in the Northeast just don't know about that region. Nobody considers it for a summer getaway, but they should.
I think because it really isn't convenient in the first place, and in the second, if you have easy access to the ocean, that would be most northeast people's first choice.
The northern two thirds of Michigan is very nice, very clean and very safe. I assume the negative things you think of when it comes to Michigan have to do with some of its troubled cities like Detroit or flint. If it were not for those two places and all thier bad behavior and bad press Michigan would be a popular state like its neighbor Minnesota. If your going to visit Michigan don't even bother to stop until you are north of Flint. If you do that you will see the scenic and nice parts of the state, not rust belt stereotypes.
The southern 1/3 of Michigan is actually also very nice, very clean, and very safe - with the exceptions being parts of Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, and maybe Benton Harbor - but this is no different than calling out rough places in Massachusetts like Chelsea, Fall River or Springfield. Every populated region has their rough areas. Most people simply avoid them, just as those in Southern Michigan don't go to Northside Flint or Eastside Detroit often, if ever - which is part of why they're so damned rough. If you live some place like Royal Oak - literally 2 miles from Detroit - you can easily live your entire life without being victim or witness to any crime beyond speeding or littering.
Saying don't bother to see anything in the southern part of Michigan is just about the most absurd thing I've heard on these boards, I mean seriously - even skipping Detroit itself means you miss some of the best attractions in the entire region. Detroit Institute of Arts, Belle Isle, the Riverwalk, some of the National Geographic's most underrated cuisine on the planet, the Henry Ford Museum, Hittsville USA, Fox Theatre...? Some of those sound interesting, no? Ah, but you missed all that - because Detroit scares you.
If you think 2017 Detroit is all a post-industrial wasteland where gangs reign supreme and society has taken a backseat, you've got some traveling to do. I'll admit the beaches in Southern Michigan aren't anything special and for those you certainly need to head Up North, but don't write off the southern part of the state when it's clear to me you have no idea what you're talking about.
I'll admit the beaches in Southern Michigan aren't anything special and for those you certainly need to head Up North, but don't write off the southern part of the state when it's clear to me you have no idea what you're talking about.
I politely disagree, there are some rather nice large dunes all along the beaches of Lake Michigan, with nice soft white sand. They may not all have the size or fame of Sleeping bear, but they are pretty special in their own way https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/...e475f60e_b.jpg
The southern 1/3 of Michigan is actually also very nice, very clean, and very safe - with the exceptions being parts of Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, and maybe Benton Harbor - but this is no different than calling out rough places in Massachusetts like Chelsea, Fall River or Springfield. Every populated region has their rough areas. Most people simply avoid them, just as those in Southern Michigan don't go to Northside Flint or Eastside Detroit often, if ever - which is part of why they're so damned rough. If you live some place like Royal Oak - literally 2 miles from Detroit - you can easily live your entire life without being victim or witness to any crime beyond speeding or littering.
Saying don't bother to see anything in the southern part of Michigan is just about the most absurd thing I've heard on these boards, I mean seriously - even skipping Detroit itself means you miss some of the best attractions in the entire region. Detroit Institute of Arts, Belle Isle, the Riverwalk, some of the National Geographic's most underrated cuisine on the planet, the Henry Ford Museum, Hittsville USA, Fox Theatre...? Some of those sound interesting, no? Ah, but you missed all that - because Detroit scares you.
If you think 2017 Detroit is all a post-industrial wasteland where gangs reign supreme and society has taken a backseat, you've got some traveling to do. I'll admit the beaches in Southern Michigan aren't anything special and for those you certainly need to head Up North, but don't write off the southern part of the state when it's clear to me you have no idea what you're talking about.
First I was responding to a poster who already had a negative view of Michigan and posted a reply assuming the obvious that Detroit and Flint are likely at the core of his/her negative view. In all reality those two cities are responsible for michigans bad rap outside the Midwest (yes it does not have a good reputation at all) The common image of Michigan around here is a rust belt stereotype on steroids, out of work people, falling down/run down buildings, depressed people and crime. My point being made to this poster was that if you don't want to see any of that then visit the northern part of Michigan where it is prettier anyway. I see your location and I know you think I'm insulting your home and I am not trying too. Actually I used to live up in Michigan and I find it sad that people think so low of it, and I find it sad the conditions that have been allowed to develop in Flint and Detroit. I also know people are trying to fix Detroit and I know it has some nice burbs. However everyone who has ever been there knows how bad the city itself is. I have been all over this nation and have never seen it that bad any where else. In all fairness I have not been up to Detroit in over 10 years so maybe it's improved. Even if it has its likely only in a small area near the downtown. Those wishing to help Michigans image and tourism industry should focus on the positive about the state while not drawing attention to problem spots that perpetuate the bad image the state has. It would be better if people thought of woods and Great Lakes beaches rather than falling down broken cities.
First I was responding to a poster who already had a negative view of Michigan and posted a reply assuming the obvious that Detroit and Flint are likely at the core of his/her negative view. In all reality those two cities are responsible for michigans bad rap outside the Midwest (yes it does not have a good reputation at all) The common image of Michigan around here is a rust belt stereotype on steroids, out of work people, falling down/run down buildings, depressed people and crime. My point being made to this poster was that if you don't want to see any of that then visit the northern part of Michigan where it is prettier anyway. I see your location and I know you think I'm insulting your home and I am not trying too. Actually I used to live up in Michigan and I find it sad that people think so low of it, and I find it sad the conditions that have been allowed to develop in Flint and Detroit. I also know people are trying to fix Detroit and I know it has some nice burbs. However everyone who has ever been there knows how bad the city itself is. I have been all over this nation and have never seen it that bad any where else. In all fairness I have not been up to Detroit in over 10 years so maybe it's improved. Even if it has its likely only in a small area near the downtown. Those wishing to help Michigans image and tourism industry should focus on the positive about the state while not drawing attention to problem spots that perpetuate the bad image the state has. It would be better if people thought of woods and Great Lakes beaches rather than falling down broken cities.
Oh, I know that allll too well I moved here from a thriving Intermountain West city. I certainly raised some eyebrows when I said, "Hey I'm moving to Detroit, with my wife and 1 year old." Friends have been surprised by some of the things I've shared to Facebook or Instagram. Nobody has any idea the DIA or Greenfield Village exist, let alone how awesome they are, and being able to bike from Downtown Northville to Maybury SP in 5 minutes, or seeing Downtown Royal Oak or Birmingham and having to accept that these are parts of Detroit creates some confusion for those who believe it's all Rustbelt on Steroids.
If you've not been here in 10 years, I think you'd be surprised by the city. The entire city, not just the nice suburban parts, but especially Downtown/Midtown/Corktown/etc. Working street lights, functioning police/fire/EMT forces, city services like trash/recycling/buses, a new light rail line down Woodward, an upgraded riverwalk, Belle Isle functions again, Wayne State is constantly expanding, the number of hip, trendy restaurants/bars near the city core is awesome.. Detroit is Michigan and Michigan is Detroit. Rather than trying to change people's perception of the state to be the woods and beaches north of Bay City, why not own both great parts of the state? You can buy a beautiful house in an upscale, high income, safe suburb for $200,000 (try doing that in any of the other 15 largest metros, hah!) AND you're a short distance up I-75 to any number of middle of no where cottages and a never ending list of fresh water state beaches. Though I've only visited Plymouth and Hull, I highly doubt you can find the kind of peace and quiet along the Massachusetts beaches which is present up and down the coastlines of the Great Lakes, but if you want something more commercial there's definitely the popular spots like Sleeping Bear, Grand Haven or Saugatuck.
Oh, and addressing DubbleT's remark - yes, Sleeping Bear is in the Lower Pennensuila, but most locals would call that "Northern Michgan", but if you didn't live here I can see how that'd still be "Southern Michigan", so my apologies on not clarifying. What I meant by the beaches in the southern part of the state aren't as great, I mean ones that are Port Huron to Muskegon and south (though Muskegon is actually a cool little beach town, which generally gets underrated, by myself included)
As a native Tennessean who lived in the Midwest for several years, MI beaches are very underrated. There are plenty of resort towns with beautiful, man made, sandy beaches that could be mistaken for Florida, sans vegetation.
We went swimming in Holland on Labor Day weekend a few years ago. The water was cool, but fine to swim in. Water temps along the southern MI side of Lake Michigan are already in the 60s. Temps in Holland will be nearly 90 and through the 80s rest of the week. Boston is dipping back down into highs in the 70s after today.
I would wager most of MI along the shore, aside from some maybe far northern towns like Petoskey, will get warmer in the summer than most of coastal MA.
As a native Tennessean who lived in the Midwest for several years, MI beaches are very underrated. There are plenty of resort towns with beautiful, man made, sandy beaches that could be mistaken for Florida, sans vegetation.
We went swimming in Holland on Labor Day weekend a few years ago. The water was cool, but fine to swim in. Water temps along the southern MI side of Lake Michigan are already in the 60s. Temps in Holland will be nearly 90 and through the 80s rest of the week. Boston is dipping back down into highs in the 70s after today.
I would wager most of MI along the shore, aside from some maybe far northern towns like Petoskey, will get warmer in the summer than most of coastal MA.
While on Cape Cod or the South Coast that might be accurate for the most part since east facing beaches are upwind of the ocean the moderating effects are less. while Michigan is downwind of the lake. Of course due to the relatively small size of the Great Lakes their overall effect of weather is less than the ocean but Michigan gets the full Power of Lake Michigans moderating effects while MA doesn't get that fromThe Atlantic.
I politely disagree, there are some rather nice large dunes all along the beaches of Lake Michigan, with nice soft white sand. They may not all have the size or fame of Sleeping bear, but they are pretty special in their own way https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/...e475f60e_b.jpg
Do you know when that picture was taken? I love it, its so vintage!
Do you know when that picture was taken? I love it, its so vintage!
I believe I do know where that is, at least I have a good guess. It looks to me like the platt river near a place called empire Michigan. It is on Lake Michigan directly west of the traverse city area. It is also quite close to sleeping bear dunes. You can rent river tubes and float all the way to Lake Michigan, that beach is a beautiful place but be warned it gets very crowded during summer. Sleeping bear dunes and that whole area is fast becoming a very well known tourist hotspot. Go during the week or early in the morning and it may be less crowded. The sleeping bear sand dunes national park has lots of quiet unspoiled beaches where you can get far from people if you are willing to walk.
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